TL/DR –
President Donald Trump has sent National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., who may be armed, a point of departure from a previous statement that said the troops will not be armed. Although the troops are not allowed to make arrests, they can “temporarily detain individuals to prevent imminent harm.” Several Republicans governors have pledged support to Trump’s initiative by sending troops to D.C.
National Guard troops dispatched to Washington, D.C. by President Donald Trump might now be armed, stated a White House official to CBS News on Saturday, contradicting a previous statement.
Despite assurances that the troops would not carry weapons, the administration shifted its stance. The Guard’s purpose is to protect federal assets, ensure law enforcement safety, and deter crime, the official clarified to CBS News.
While the military isn’t allowed to act as a domestic police force under the Posse Comitatus Act, these troops can “temporarily detain individuals to prevent imminent harm,” according to the Army.
On Friday, some National Guard troops were informed to prepare to be armed, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Further, several Republican governors have pledged to despatch troops to D.C. in support of Trump’s initiative. West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey committed to sending hundreds of National Guard troops to the capital.
Meanwhile, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster announced sending 200 troops and Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio pledged 150.
Trump announced on Monday that he was deploying the National Guard to “rescue our nation’s capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse” and placing the capital’s Metropolitan Police Department under federal control, a move that was later revaluated.
In 2020, during Trump’s first administration, 62,000 National Guard Soldiers and Airmen were activated in 23 states and D.C. in response to protests against the police killing of George Floyd.
Trump hinted on Monday at potentially dispatching the National Guard to more cities.
“We’re not going to lose our cities over this. We’re starting very strongly with D.C., and we’re going to clean it up real quick, very quickly,” he said.
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